HYACINTH. 



143 



the ditches, because, should they be Left on the land, 

 they would cause the bulbs to rot. They cannot be 

 used, even as a manure for trees, or any other plants, 

 because, if they are not poisonous, they at least always 

 contain a corrosive substance, and to such a degree that 

 in the month of October, if they are worked among for 

 a few hours, they will have a worse effect on the laborer 

 than the Poison Ivy ; the skin becomes red and inflamed, 

 and the pain is so intense that it prevents sleep. 



The manner of harvesting the bulbs in Holland is 

 as follows : First, all the leaves are cut just under the 

 surface of the beds, with a sharp shuffle-hoe, immediately 

 after which the bulbs are taken up with the hands, the 

 laborer sitting on the ground all the time. When taken 

 up they are put in shallow trenches, close together, and 

 covered with earth, where they remain from one to three 

 weeks to ripen, after which they are brought into the 

 store rooms and placed thinly to dry. They are then 

 cleaned, the tops cut closely to the bulb, and the bulbs 

 assorted according to quality and size. 



Propagation of the Hyacinth. — There are two 

 artificial methods of propagating the Hyacinth in Hol- 

 land. The first is by means of cross-cuts made through 

 the base of the bulbs, reaching half way up the bulb. 

 These cuts are made as soon as the bulbs are taken from 

 their beds, before they are put in the trenches for curing, 

 the strongest and most healthy bulbs being chosen, as 

 they produce the largest number of offsets. After the 

 bulbs are cut they are laid in the trenches to ripen, the 

 same as the other bulbs. These cuts soon open wide, 

 and send out young bulbs thickly along the scales before 

 autumn. They are planted in this state in beds by 

 themselves, and the next year, after having been dried 

 on the shelves, they are separated and trimmed. The 

 first year after cutting, the bulbs make very little, if any. 

 foliage, as the old bulb has no longer any influence, and 



